Robert Cumberlander, Editor in Chief
Hershey’s Milk Chocolate
I have never been a big fan of the Hershey Milk Chocolate candy bars. They’re essential for making s’mores, but during Halloween, I never ate them because they just tasted so bland on their own. When I eat a candy bar, I want something bold and fulfilling. The king of all candy bars is, without a doubt, Snickers. It is the culmination of everything that you could want out of a chocolate candy bar; the whipped nougat, creamy caramel, and the crunchy peanut interior are a match made in heaven. Snickers is able to accomplish what other candy bars are only partially able to do.
Bianca Blanks, Copy Editor
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
My all time favorite candy is Reese’s cups, however, I have a sweet tooth especially for the miniature Reese’s cups. As my colleague Josh said, Reese’s is absolutely the best candy ever. The mini Reese’s cups are the best because they’re easy to pop right into your mouth. They’re good for a quick tasty snack, and you don’t need to open up the entire package and waste it if you don’t want two like in the normal Reese’s cups packaging. The peanut butter, chocolate, and small rivets on the outside of the Reese cup makes that one small bite absolutely worth it.
Melissa Blackford, Reporter
Candy Corn
Maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but candy corn has to be the best type of candy. It is not too sweet, and it contains less sugar than most other types of candy out there. It is also an agricultural symbol, and was initially intended to be eaten year-round. Likewise, it is one of the oldest candies around and the recipe has stayed the same for the most part. The candy must just be too delicious to change any part of it. Not to mention the chewy texture of the little candy kernels, such yummy chewiness!
Parken Brown, Layout Editor
Sour Patch Kids/Twizzlers Black Licorice/3 Musketeers/Twix
My favorite commercial candy has been a tie between Sour Patch Kids and Twizzlers Black Licorice. The issue arises when you realize that neither of those two candies are very good for trick or treating. They are more effort than they are worth when individually wrapped. My favorite Halloween candy has to be a tie between 3 Musketeers and Twix. I admired 3 Musketeers for the nougat, as it had a very unique texture. I enjoyed Twix because it has the best source of caramel, in my opinion.
Lily Benedetti, Reporter
York Peppermint Pattie
Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve always preferred the Halloween candy that tends to get overlooked, like Almond Joys or Heath Bars. However, my favorite Halloween candy that never gets enough love is the classic York Peppermint Pattie. The best part about trick-or-treating with my siblings back in the day was the fact that they both hated York Peppermint Patties, so they’d give all of theirs to me and I’d be fully stocked. The flavor combination of chocolate and peppermint has always made my taste buds happy. Perhaps that explains why my go-to ice cream flavor is always mint chocolate chip too.
Zach Ferenchak, Managing Editor
Whoppers
The best Halloween candy? How about the best candy in general- WHOPPERS. This candy is so dang versatile and delicious. There’s a reason movie theaters charge $5 a box for them! Since they are little bites, you feel like you are eating more than you actually are. They are perfect for sharing with friends and family at a movie or event. They are also the PERFECT candy to devour after a long night of trick-or-treating. Whoppers are extremely underrated and you all NEED to put some respect on their name.
Julie Smallsreed, Web Editor
Twizzlers/Starburst
I can eat just about any candy, all day long, but sour/gummy candies are my favorite, Twizzlers and Starbursts topping the list. I could eat all Twizzlers, but specifically the cherry peel apart Twizzlers are the absolute best, they’re fun to pull apart and the cherry flavor tops the original strawberry. They’re not Halloween friendly, but they’re buy-your-own-bag-and-eat-the-whole-thing-in-one-sitting friendly. Starbursts are incredible and they’re very easy to hand out for Halloween, the small two-piece packages are a nice portion control (if you choose to limit yourself). All Starburst flavors, whether the original or the tropical flavors, hit so hard–it’s one of the few candy brands where I actually enjoy all flavors.
Lauryn Collett, Social Media Manager
Hershey’s Krackel/Mr. Goodbar
The best Halloween candies are Krackel candy bars and Mr. Goodbars. These are the chocolate bars that were often overlooked and disrespected when you went through your trick-or-treat stash as a kid. The Krackel bar offers the crispy-crunch of rich chocolate that Crunch bars wish they could achieve. Mr. Goodbar is the perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate. Both of these chocolate candy treats are top-tier Halloween treats and I would’ve happily traded any of my other trick-or-treat candy for them.
Emily Dietz, Distribution Manager & Reporter
Peanut M&M’s
Peanut M&M’s are, without a doubt, the best Halloween candy. When I was a kid, my brother and I would always have a candy swap on the living room floor after trick-or-treating. With costumes still on, we would both dump out our buckets, making sure that there was enough space in between the piles so they wouldn’t get accidentally mixed up. The bartering was cut-throat; since we knew each other’s favorites, we demanded more in return. I consistently would give up three or four pieces of lesser candy to secure one Fun-Size package of Peanut M&Ms–and, if pressed, I would do the same today.
Josh Conturo, Staff Reporter
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
No, no, no. My colleagues are bright, but they seem to have forgotten about the best candy of all; the Reese’s Cup. It has the perfect blend of the marriage arranged by angles; chocolate and peanut butter. The sweet and salty combo is unmatched. Not to mention the s’mores capability of these things. Forget the Hershey bars, grab a Reese’s cup and smash that between a marshmallow and two pieces of graham cracker and you will begin to rethink your life. They have everything a good piece of Halloween candy needs; it’s a classic, everyone loves it and they are great no matter if you like salty or sweet things.
Shirleeah Pasco, Chief Layout Editor
Airheads
I do respect all of the candy that my colleagues enjoy (except you, Melissa. Candy corn is the WORST. See an article I wrote last year over my pure hatred of candy corn here). But with that being said, almost everyone has listed some type of chocolate. Are y’all forgetting about Airheads?! Not only are they chewy like Laffy Taffy, but the flavor is more extreme. On top of that, if you eat enough blue raspberry Airheads your tongue turns blue. How fun is that?
I vividly remember watching the commercials where the kid’s head would grow into a balloon when they ate the candy. Due to this commercial, for some crazy and unknown reason, my mom never let me have any type of candy remotely close to Airheads. Her reign only fueled my rebelion, causing me to buy these treats whenever I was in a gas station alone. Airheads not only hold a bittersweet memory, but a bittersweet taste.
Madeleine Rollins, Reporter & Layout editor
Starburst Jellybeans
Nobody here is right, aside from me. Starburst jellybeans. Sour Patch Kids and Twizzlers are second tier, but Starburst jelly beans take the cake and always will. They usually only get sold during Easter, but when they’re out it’s the best time of the year. This is the only candy that matters and ever will matter. Candy corn is disgusting, Whoppers are all right, Airheads are wonderful, Starburst jellybeans are the only candy that will ever matter.
